Foreign Minister and MPR Speaker Plan to Attend Ali Khamenei's Funeral

Foreign Minister Sugiono has stated that he and MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani are planning to attend the funeral of former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. “Because the funeral will be held on Thursday, 9 July, we plan to attend. We are still awaiting confirmation regarding the time and location where we can participate in the funeral ceremony,” Sugiono said after welcoming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in Jakarta on Monday. “The plan is for the Foreign Minister and the MPR Speaker to depart together,” he added. He noted that upon receiving notification of the funeral, the government initially indicated that the Indonesian Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran would serve as the representative. This decision was based on various technical considerations, given that preparations for several state visits in Indonesia were underway and key officials had important agendas preventing them from travelling. However, the Indonesian government subsequently received confirmation that Iranian authorities would only grant access to officials above the rank of ambassador. This led to a change in plans regarding Indonesia’s representation. “Through our ongoing communications, and because of the immense respect for the late leader and the very large crowds in Iran, the Iranian side had to find a suitable point or spot to receive our visit,” Sugiono explained. The funeral procession for Ali Khamenei is being held in Tehran today. A similar procession will take place in Qom on Tuesday, 7 July. On Wednesday, 8 July, the body will be taken to the Iraqi cities of Baghdad, Najaf, and Karbala, before being returned to his birthplace in Mashhad for burial on Thursday, 9 July.